VR studio nDreams is up to something intriguing, with their new game Reach. I stumbled across this behind-the-scenes thing they did — sort of a peek under the hood, you know? And they’ve got this new team, nDreams Elevation, pushing the buttons and pulling the levers.
So last week, they dropped the news about Reach, along with some early gameplay. It looks like one of those cinematic, parkour-heavy combat games. You know the type, where you’re doing flips and jumps like a superhero. They’ve poured a lot into the movement and combat mechanics meant just for VR. Pretty cool, if you ask me.
Anyway, the design guru, Matt Duff — you could say he’s the brains behind the operation — laid out the plan. Three main things they’re aiming for: action, adventure, and presence. Seems like everything they do screams “VR first.” It’s about redefining movement in VR, like actually reaching out — literally using your body to pull yourself around. Wild, right?
Oh, the jumping. So jumping in VR can be a mess, can’t it? Makes people queasy. But Duff says they’ve nailed this gesture-based system that tricks your brain. Kinda like mind magic, if you think about it.
I love how they focus on letting you do stuff. If it looks climbable or interactive, it probably is. There’s this system they’ve got, Full-body Awareness or something. No more floating hands, thank goodness. Your whole in-game self moves realistically. More like a real person, less like a pair of ghostly gloves.
Combat, though — this is where it gets fun. You can go all action hero or stealthy ninja on your opponents. Weapons galore, with arrows that do explosive, freeze, or stun stuff. It’s like having an arsenal on your back. Sneaky types can lure the bad guys away with well-placed arrows for those sneaky strikes. Options, options.
I can’t wait to see this thing hit all the VR platforms. Later this year, they say. Until then, might as well add it to your wishlist on Quest 3, PSVR 2, or wherever you do your VR stuff. Can’t miss out, right?
